Chemistry researchers James Brozik (above left) and K.W. Hipps have been awarded $1 million from the W.M. Keck Foundation to support development of molecular machines that self-replicate to produce 100-percent pure material. Their cutting-edge research is the first step towards a new paradigm in manufacturing where materials could be designed one atom at a time to exact specifications and then grown out of a vat. Read more >>>

Planetary scientists find specialized bacteria are able to survive in the Mars-like, hyper-arid environment of the Atacama Desert, going dormant for decades and then reactivating and reproducing when it rains. Read more >>